Vehicle-wheel.



A. GRAPE.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE z, 190e.

943,1 12. y Patented Dec. 14, 1909.

attoznub UNITED STATES PATENT oEEroE.

ANDREW GRAFF, 0F WELLINGTON, KANSAS.

y VEHICLE-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 14, 1909.

Application filed J une 2, 1908. Serial No. 436,297.

To all lwhom it may concern; Be it known that I, ANDREW GRAFF, a citii zen of the United States, residing at Wellington, in the county of Sumner and State of Kansas, have invented a new and usefulv between whereby the s okes vare held posi- .tively spaced apart at t eir outer ends without, however, interfering with the lexibility of the tread.

A further object is toprovide novel means .for movably connectingl veach spoke with its rim section.

- Withfthe'se and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features ofconstructon and'combinati'ons of parts which willbe 4hereinafter more Jfully described and 'pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings is shown 'the preferred form of the invention.

In -saiddrawingsz Figurel V*is a view partly in section and partl in elevation of a portion fof a wheel embo ying the present improvements. Fig. 2 is a transverse'section-through. a portion of the wheel. Fig. 3 is an end view of one of the rim sections.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section through the outer end of oneof the spokes and a portion of the stem projecting thereinto. Fig.5 isa section showing amodified construction. Fig. 6 is a section-,on the line A-B of Fig. 5.

Referring to the figuresJ by characters of reference, 1, 1 designates yieldable disks or shields screwed or otherwise'fastened upon' the end portions ofthe wheel hub 2A and providedv at theirI peripheries with flared portions 3 constituting centering means for the tread of the wheel. f 'annular flange 4 is formed upon .the hub and between -the guard disks 1 and radiating from this hub 1s a series of tubular spokes 5 each of which contains a coiled spring 6 and is Isurrounded by a coiled spring 7. lach spring 7 extends toward the outer end of each spoke, and normally bears against a sleeve 8 extending from the middle portion of a yoke 9. A central tubular stem 10 is located within the sleeve and has its ends closed and this tube is designed to bear against the spring 6. The spoke 5 preferably projects into the vsleeve 8 so as to surround the end portion of stem 10, but the spoke does not fit tight-ly t around said stem.

Registering slots S and 10 are formed within the sleeve 8 and the stem 10, respectively, at diametrically-opposite points. A retaining pin 5 is secured within and extends beyond opposite portions of the spoke near its outer end, said pin constituting an abutment for the springs 6 and 7 and designed to work within the slots 8 and 10.v

Each sleeve 8 has extensions projecting in opposite directions therefrom, as indicated at 11 and 12, and the outer faces of these extensions are at and extend radially of the wheel. One extension of each sleeve has lianges 13 extendingtherearound so as to,

form a socket to receive one or more antifriction rollers 14. When the parts of the wheel are assembled the rollers 14 of each section are designed to bear upon the adjoining flat face 11 of the adjoining section. When the` rim sections are thus assembled they extend continuously around the wheel so as to hold the spokes properly spaced apart. The yokes 9 are arranged normally in a circle and constitute seats for a wire helix 15 constituting an elastic tread or tire for vthe wheel. This tread may be constructed of one or more coils, and is held properly centered by the peripheral iared portions 3 of the disks 1.

When the tire of the wheel is pressed inwardly under the weight of the load the rim 'seotionsin the line of pressure will be'forced against those of the springs 6 and 7 bearing 'thereagainst, andas more or less lateral play ispermitted between each spoke and its rim section i-t will be obvious that this inward movement 'of the rim sections will be per.- mitted'. f By interposing' the anti-friction rollers between the sections there is nol danger of theA-rim sect-ions becoming wedged so that the springs 6 and 7 can not return them to their initial positions after they have been pressed inwardly. In order to provide additional means for permit-ting independent radial movement of the rim sections the spokes 5 can be pivoted in sockets 16 in flanges 4 so as to have independent swinging movement. A j

If deemed desirable, any suitable means may be utilized for prevent-ing the rollers 14 from dropping out of their proper positions should the relative movements of the rim sections be veryextensive. One means of accomplishing this result has been illustrated in Fig. 3 and consists of flanges 18 extendlaced Within the compartment 17 willfbe' ree to flow into the various spokes and thus reduce friction at the point where the stems 10 project into them. Leakage at these bearing points may be prevented by providing the stem 10with packing rings 19, as indi.- cated particularly in Fig. 4. Leakage kat the inner ends of the spokes can also be prevented by means ofresilientwashers 20 or in any other suitable manner.

The rollers 14 may be made of rubber so as to yield and permit the necessary movement of the rim sections toward each other.

What is claimed is:

1. A wheel comprising a hub, spokes radiating therefrom, rim sections movably mounted upon the spokes, cushioning springs therefor, an elastic tire, and superposed antifriction devices loosely supported by andinterposed between the rim sections and spacing said sections apart in the direction of the circumference of the whecl,said devices extending transversely of the wheel.

2. A wheel comprising a hub, t-ubular spokes radiating'therefrom, and a rim section movably mounted upon each spoke, each section comprising a sleeve surrounding the spoke, a stem proJecting into the spoke, and oppositely projecting bearing extensions upon the sleeve, cushioning springs for the sections, and anti-friction devices interposed between said extensions and supported by them, said devices constituting means for spacing the sections apart in the direction of the circumference of the wheel.

3. A wheel comprising a hub, spokes radiating therefrom, a circular helix constituting an elastic tire, yokes constituting seats for the helix, -separate means extending from' Y ANDREW GRAFFQ" Witnesses:

E. Gr. OBRIEN, S. M. BICK. 

